To be honest, Han Li had no intention of staying here any longer. But lending the Xuting Cauldron to the silver-robed woman was simply a path leading straight to his doom. That ice phoenix was equivalent to a late-stage great cultivator, capable of advancing to the second level of the Treasure Decree. With the cauldron as support, she would likely be able to stand against even Han Li's combined forces of the puppets and the Five Evils—making him a mere match. Such a situation of being at the mercy of others was precisely what he would never endure. Fortunately, Nan Gong Wan had already ingested the inner essence of the Fire Tortoise ancient beast. While she might not completely lift the seal, the delay of the Soul-Sealing Spell was assured, and her life would be secure for at least two or three centuries. With that, he had no choice but to alter his original plan and simply settle here to cultivate in quietude. At present, Han Li's eyes are closed, and the only sign of life is a faint, intermittent rise and fall of his chest—his entire form appearing as if lifeless. Yet, the milky vapor emanating from the Spirit-Eye Spring right in front of him seemed to gently drift toward him, as if imbued with spiritual awareness, making Han Li appear subtly veiled and indistinct within the mist. Eventually, it coalesced into a perfect orb of milky vapor, completely engulfing his form. Day after day, month after month, year after year, the milky spiritual mist slowly gathered at the edge of the pool, yet the white orb remained motionless, unchanged—seeming as though it had always existed in this very place since the beginning of time. Practice knows no years—eight decades had passed in the blink of an eye! On this day, at a port on an island in the Luanxing Sea, ships of various sizes were continuously arriving and departing. Some accomplished cultivators also flew in and out through the air. Beyond this single exit, the island was fully enclosed by seals on all four sides, giving rise to a thriving and bustling scene at the port. By the inner bank, several small hills of varying sizes stand scattered, rising prominently. On the tallest of these, a pale white pavilion has been constructed—though not particularly refined or elegant, it is entirely built from massive, rough stones, giving it a bold and distinctive rustic character. At the very top floor of this three-story pavilion, a Taoist in a blue robe and a scholar in a white robe, wearing a traditional scholar's hat, are quietly observing the harbor and conversing. "The blue-robed Taoist sighed and said, 'Hehe, what's so strange about it? The Heavenly Star Twin Saints, having mastered the Primordial Magnetic Light, are nearly invincible as long as they stay near the Heavenly Star Island. Haven't you heard that during the last great battle, when the Six Paths Supreme Saints and Wan San Gu combined forces, they were decisively defeated by the Heavenly Star Twin Saints right around the island? Nevertheless, the Twin Saints themselves are unwilling to stay away from the island for long, or their cultivation would significantly decline. Thus, each family has its own concerns, leaving us smaller sects to suffer greatly.' The scholar sneered. 'That's true—being frequently assigned tasks isn't too bad; we can simply send a few junior disciples to handle them. But previously, we only needed to pay tribute to one family. Now we have to pay to both. How can life be any easier?' The blue-robed Taoist shook his head, looking deeply frustrated. 'Hah! Ming brother, you really are overly sensitive. Matters of this nature? How could two Foundation Stage disciples possibly manage them—naturally, the senior masters and elders have already thought of these things.' As long as the senior master is still here, these two families won't press our door too hard. All we need to do is endure these two years of our current duties and then return to our cave to focus on cultivation. In fact, since I stepped out of my last retreat, I've already sensed a clear indication that I'm approaching the breakthrough of my initial stage—perhaps it's time to enter the mid-stage of foundation cultivation!" The scholar suddenly beamed with pride. "What? If your younger brother can advance to the mid-stage within a hundred years, that truly speaks to exceptional talent. My brother, on the other hand, has been stuck in the mid-stage for over forty years and still hasn't made a single breakthrough." The blue-robed Taoist was momentarily stunned, then his face brightened with admiration. "Master Ming is jesting. Who doesn't know that the initial stage bottleneck and the mid-stage bottleneck are worlds apart? In fact, when I reach the mid-stage, I often find myself falling behind your brother!" The scholar waved his hands vigorously. The blue-robed Taoist sighed, just about to add something when a sound like a divine thunderbolt from the ninth heaven suddenly erupted, shaking the entire pavilion and then causing it The two were instantly startled, exchanged glances, and hurried to gaze toward the distant harbor. There, high in the sky, some十余 miles beyond the harbor, a vast, vivid cloud formation shimmered like dusk's twilight, undulating steadily. Soon, a series of thunderous roars rolled in—like a thousand horses galloping in unison. As the sound surged, the sea surface near the harbor erupted into colossal waves, reaching over a hundred paces high. A silver-white streak surged swiftly from afar, racing toward the harbor. Just for a brief moment, the two of them had already broken into a sweat. Not only they, but the cultivators coming and going at the port, were all pale with shock. Some of the lower-level cultivators could no longer summon even their spiritual implements to hover, and纷纷 swayed helplessly before descending swiftly from the sky. The spiritual pressure emanating from that resplendent mist was truly astonishing! Though separated by such a distance, they were all deeply startled, as if an ancient celestial beast were about to descend upon the world. At this very moment, not only the buildings near the port were trembling, but the entire island itself seemed to begin gently quaking. The blue-robed Taoist and the scholar were now so parched that they could hardly utter a word. Suddenly, three brilliant streaks of light shot forth from the inland direction, swiftly reaching the roof of the pavilion. After a graceful spiral, they each plunged into the upper floors. As the light faded, three figures emerged—one woman and two men. Standing before them were a robust, yellow-robed man, an anxious, green-robed elder with a furrowed brow, and a graceful woman. "Greetings, Senior Uncles!" Upon seeing these three, the Taoist and scholar finally regained their composure and hurried to pay their respects. "What exactly has happened?" the yellow-robed man waved his hand, his face serious. "I don't know what's going on either. Suddenly, the sky has taken on this unusual appearance. We were just about to send transmission scrolls to the Senior Unctions!" The blue-robed Taoist replied promptly and respectfully. In fact, the three newly arrived Dan-stage cultivators had already been silently gazing at the distant sky, saying nothing. "What is this? Could there be a high-level immortal beast soaring there, breathing clouds and mist?" the graceful woman furrowed her brows and asked. "No. There's no trace of spirit aura within the clouds—definitely not a beast. And a creature of such magnitude would have to be at the Formed-Shape stage or higher. It's simply impossible for such a being to appear in the Inner Sea." The young, scholarly elder narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Could it be a senior cultivator at the Yuan Ying stage casting a spell there?" the big man asked, equally surprised. "It seems rather unlikely! As far as I know, aside from a few elders skilled in magical arts, no one has ever mastered such unusual techniques as breathing in and out like clouds and mist. This appears more like a celestial omen signaling the emergence of a precious treasure!" Taking a deep breath, the elder said seriously. "If this truly is such a significant omen, then the treasure in question must be no ordinary one—our sect absolutely cannot afford to overlook it." Upon hearing this, the graceful woman's eyes sparkled with excitement. The big man, too, showed signs of growing enthusiasm. "What treasure is it all about?" the old voice suddenly echoed throughout the room. "I think you all are simply afraid to lose your lives!" The three elders heard this and were instantly startled, quickly standing upright and motioning to remain still. Suddenly, a brilliant blue glow emerged in the pavilion, instantly bright and dazzling. Then, a thin middle-aged man appeared within the room. "Respectfully, Master Uncle!" the three bowed in unison. The blue-robed Taoist and the scholar were even more startled, bowing deeply and repeatedly calling, "Master Senior!" Only then could one clearly see that the man's complexion was pale yellow, his eyes gray-white—indeed, he appeared blind. "Hmph. You must have quite the nerve. Even if this truly is a precious treasure, such a rare find would still be beyond your reach. Should you happen to secure it, you'd only invite a fatal consequence. As I know, the old monster, Hun, is also nearby. Under such celestial signs, he surely wouldn't miss this event." The pale man spoke coldly, his gray-white eyes now fixed on the swirling, colorful clouds in the distance, his expression growing serious. Upon hearing the name "Hun," the three men from the northern region instantly grew pale, their faces turning grim. "Even if our junior disciple cannot obtain this treasure, can't you, Master, obtain it?" the graceful woman still insisted. "If it truly is a treasure, I will certainly give it a try. Others may fear the old demon, but I intend to challenge him. Unfortunately, however, this ten-year period is not marked by any celestial signs indicating the emergence of a treasure." The middle-aged man spoke solemnly. This scene left the men in the attic, who had just regained consciousness, utterly stunned! (First chapter!